Who is Cory Booker, His Education, Parents, Wife, Net Worth, Is He Gay?

Cory Booker is a United States politician and member of the Democratic party that has since 2013 represented New Jersey in the upper chambers of the United States Congress. Before becoming Senator, the Standford University graduate first served on the Newark City Council before rising to the office of Mayor.

Since 2013, Booker has been muted as a possible presidential candidate due to his youth and progressive ideologies that include same-sex marriage, women’s rights, and affirmative action.

Biography (Education)

Cory Anthony Booker was born as the last of two children to Carolyn Rose (née Jordan) and Cary Alfred Booker, on the 27th of April, 1969, in Washington, D.C. He was, however, raised in Harrington Park, New Jersey where he attended Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan.

In high school, Booker was a standout athlete who earned a selection to the 1986 USA Today All-USA high school football team. Upon graduation, he enrolled at Stanford University where he continued playing football even though he never thought much of having a career in it. Booker was notably selected to the All-Pacific-10 Academic team before he receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1991. The following year, Booker completed the requirements for a Master of Arts degree in sociology from the same school before heading to the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. He graduated in 1994 with an honors degree in United States history.

Upon return to the U.S., Cory Booker enrolled at Yale Law School, receiving his Juris Doctor degree in 1997 before running for and winning a seat on the Municipal Council of Newark in 1998. In 2002, Booker took his first shot at becoming Mayor of Newark and lost. He came back for the same position in 2006 and won it outstandingly. Booker served as mayor until December 2012 when he announced he was thinking about running for the U.S. Senate amid speculation that he would run for New Jersey Governor. However, following the death of incumbent Senator Frank Lautenberg, Booker decided to run for the vacant senatorial seat and won.

Cory Booker Family – Parents

Cory Booker might not have been able to impact so many people’s lives and have the political career he does today if not for his parents; Carolyn and Cary Booker, who were amongst the first black executives at multinational IT company, IBM.

Booker’s father, Cary, was originally from Hendersonville, North Carolina, where he was raised by a single mother and her large extended family. When the time came for him to go to college, his whole community raised the funds he needed to attend North Carolina College as he also had to do some construction and other hard labor jobs to support himself. After college, Cary moved to Washington D.C. to take a job at IBM. It was here that he met and fell in love with his future wife, Carolyn. The couple got married and moved to New Jersey in 1969 where they both became active in the civil rights movement.

Booker’s parents worked very hard to afford a life that shielded their children from societal and civil rights issues but, however, nurtured them to be aware of what was going on around them in order for them to try to be able to make a difference in the future. Booker has had the support of both his parents until 2013 when his father died from complications with Parkinson’s disease. He still very much has a relationship with his mother who could be seen alongside her son at some of his campaign events.

Does He Have a Wife or Is He Gay?

Cory Booker has never been married, hence, the speculation that he might be gay. During his Senate bid in 2013, the former Mayor of Newark said that his inability to find a partner and settle down brings him great dismay and even though he is getting older every day, he has not quite given up hope of one day exchanging marital vows.

On the issue of him possibly being gay, Booker said he does not typically respond to such unfounded allegations because he is very much a straight man. He revealed that he hated gays while growing up but that stance has since changed as he challenges people around him not to be homophobic.

Net Worth

There are conflicting reports as to Senator Cory Booker’s exact net worth with popular website, Celebrity Net Worth, putting it at $3 million while the non-profit organization, Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks U.S. lawmakers’ income, placing his net worth at about $833,000.

The New Jersey lawmaker, who receives an annual salary of $174,000, has been able to amass his wealth through investments in companies like Nike, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Netflix. He also earns some money from speaking appearances and royalties from the books he has published.